Earlier we shared with you about Su who became a Christian outside of Vietnam and then brought the gospel back to her home village, facing persecution from the government and her community.

This is a fictional story based off of real life events. It is not a true depiction of one person’s life, but intended to be an example of the types of persecution that Vietnamese people face in their home villages.

Su, her two teenagers, and the five village children made a circle with colorful straw mats in the main room and sat cross-legged ready to begin their activities. Su’s sons began teaching the children a new song that Su had shared with them. The tune was a lot like songs the children had heard but with new words that told about the Creator God. As the children began to sing loudly, a woman’s voice interrupted the worship time.

Su turned to see her neighbor march proudly through the open doorway, grab her seven-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, and sharply tell Su that they would no longer be coming to her house. Within a matter of seconds, the little group dwindled to six.

Su was discouraged. How could her village know about Jesus if they wouldn’t even talk to her?

As the rest of the group continued to sing, Su prayed out loud for God to help them. She began to think back to when she first returned to Vietnam after she became a Christian.

Some other Christians helped Su learn more about being a Christian, especially about facing persecution.

Her friend’s words now solidified in her mind: “We all will face persecution because now we follow Jesus. You must be ready for people to persecute you for your beliefs—your family, friends, and even the authorities. Do not be afraid or give up. With Jesus we can overcome anything.”

She thanked God for preparing her for this moment. The pain of already losing so many friends still made her heart sink, but she knew that Jesus Christ was worth more than anything. She wanted her friends and her whole village to know, too.

As the children’s singing died down, Su opened her eyes with a big smile and a tear falling down one side of her face. She pulled out her Bible and told the children they would learn more today about creation.

Before she could begin, Su heard feet shuffling underneath her stilted house. She told the children to be quiet as she descended the stairs. It was probably a spy for the authorities, she thought.

As she got to the last step someone rushed to her and she let out a shriek, muffled only a little by her friend Mao who had put her hand to Su’s mouth.